101. Ivan Zhang, Co-Founder of Cohere

All Quiet on the Second Front

On this special customer spotlight episode, Tyler sits down with Ivan Zhang, co-founder of Cohere, to unpack the evolution of secure, operationally effective AI—from research lab to real-world deployments.

Whether you're an AI builder, a public-sector leader, or just someone curious about where next-gen models are heading, this episode dives into what it really takes to deploy language models in the wild: from running LLMs on ships and air-gapped systems, to building trust with hesitant users, to rethinking the interface entirely.

What's happening on the Second Front:

• Why secure-by-default AI is a prerequisite in defense, healthcare, and finance
• The real blockers to adoption (surprise: it’s not the tech)
• How to make AI useful for people who don’t sit behind screens
• What it looks like when your AI speaks with urgency—or doesn’t speak at all

Connect with Ivan:

• LinkedIn: Ivan Zhang

Connect with Tyler:

• LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt